When Chicago’s Edenic Soy and Tofu needed a kitchen to shoot a “how-to” video last June, it turned to its Twitter followers to find one. And no wonder, considering the state of its own plumbing.

Once the shadowy stepchild of vegetarians, chameleon-like tofu has lately come center stage as it adds luster to a chocolate mousse pie, texture to a curry chili and mystery in a fiery chipotle sauce.

Mao-Chi Tzeng approaches tofu-making as an art. “It’s like chefs preparing dishes,” explains the 66-year-old co-owner of Mrs. Cheng’s Soybean Products in Kalihi. “Same materials, same ingredients, but ...

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